


A Well Worn Path

by whiteraven1606



Series: Loosely Connected [9]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen, Injury, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-25
Updated: 2013-02-25
Packaged: 2017-12-03 13:11:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/698632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteraven1606/pseuds/whiteraven1606
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iron Man is flat out on his back during a battle and the Hulk refuses to leave his side or let anyone near him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Well Worn Path

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fill for this prompt: http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/13316.html?thread=30271236#t30271236

****

"Why is it always me?" Tony squinted as his HUD flickered and died. "Well, shit." He lay on his back listening to the muffled fight going on without him. "JARVIS?"

There was a close by, very loud, thump that made Tony jump. 

"Hey! You better not step on me!"

****

Hulk was keeping another Smelly Bad from getting to Shooty Cupid when he saw Spaceman get hit by bright light. Hulk landed by Shooty Bird. "TooLoud Hair do?"

Shooty Bird shot another Smelly Bad and jerked his head a different direction. "No, Thor's that way." Shooty Cupid narrowed his eyes at Spaceman. "Cap, Stark's flat on his back and he isn't moving."

Hulk could hear Starman in Shooty Cupid's ear say "Roger that."

Hulk watched for Spaceman to fly, but he lay still. "Spaceman gone?"

Shooty Cupid shot another Smelly Bad. "No, he's probably alright." Another zing that went past Hulk's shoulder. "You can go see if you want. I'll be fine."

Hulk looked around them and snorted. He smashed all the Smelly Bad near Shooty Cupid on his way down the building to get to the street Spaceman was laying on. Hulk hit the pavement near Spaceman and smashed another Smelly Bad. "Spaceman?"

The suit made little jerky movements, but no Spaceman. Hulk roared at the nearest Smelly Bad and grinned when the suit moved a little more. 

Hulk carefully sat the suit upright. "Spaceman?"

****

Tony could feel himself lurching as something pulled the upper part of the suit upright. "Hey! No, stealing me! I'm important to saving the day!" He heard a muffled voice outside the suit. "I'm fine, Big Guy! Do NOT rip up the suit!"

****

Hulk put his ear to the neck of Spaceman as the suit made tiny jerky movements. He could hear Spaceman shouty type voice inside the suit, but the voice didn't make good words. Hulk growled as a Smelly Bad came closer. Hulk gently lower Spaceman down and patted him. "Hulk protect."

****

Clint kept one eye on Hulk protecting Tony for the rest of the battle. The biologically enhanced foot soldiers of some villain Phil hadn't even known before this morning were numerous, but dumb. You'd think after the sixteenth or so one died from Hulk pitching them into something that the rest would avoid the Big Guy.

"Cap, Hulk's still on Stark protection detail. Nat's about out of bullets again. And it looks likeThor's crispy fried his last mob."

"Okay. Mop up what's left and head down to Stark. You're sure he's okay?"

"I didn't see any major damage to the armor and Hulk keeps cocking his head like he can hear Stark talking, so probably not?"

Steve's sigh was heavy across the line. "Roger that."

****

Phil frowned. "Mr. Hulk..."

"No." Hulk whirled and growled at the techs trying to edge around him to get to Stark.

"Mr. Hulk, we need to check that Mr. Stark is alright. That means I need you to step away."

Hulk went back to pacing around the armor, glaring at everyone, and growling at the ones that ventured too close. "No."

Clint stepped up beside Phil and cocked his head. "Now what?"

Phil shrugged. "I don't know. Wait him out?"

Steve stopped even with them on Phil other side. "Hulk!"

Hulk turned his head and bared his teeth.

Steve looked up at him. "Hulk, it's okay. Nobody's going to hurt him..."

Hulk straightened up to his full height. "Everyone _always_ hurts Puny Bruce."

Clint grabbed Steve's arm and pulled him back, and then forth away. Phil watched and waited, while Hulk went back to pacing and huffing at them.

Thor came over and stood next to Phil. "Should I engage him in combat?"

Hulk narrowed his eyes at them. Phil wondered if he knew the word 'combat' yet. "No. I don't think that will be necessary."

Hulk snorted and crouched near the armor. 

Phil edged closer and kept his empty hands visible. "You're worried, right?"

Hulk huffed and put his hand on top of the armor.

Phil moved a little closer. "You're confused why Spaceman doesn't just stand back up, right?"

With a blink, Hulk tilted his head to look down at Stark while keeping an eye on Phil.

"I understand the worry, the frustration." Phil mentally smiled as the Hulk's focus shifted to him at the use of a word Hulk didn't know right off. "I can fix that, but I need to touch the armor. Can I do that?"

Hulk growled, softer than before as Phil crouched down and shuffled forward the last foot to Stark's side.

Phil kept his open hands visible, touching the ground as little as possible to help him keep his balance as he duck walked the last bit forward. "See? I'm not doing anything bad, right, Mr. Hulk?"

Hulk took deep heaving breaths. "No bad."

"That's right. No bad." Phil pointed to his pocket. "I have to get a key from my pocket. Not a weapon, just a key. Can I do that, Mr. Hulk?"

Hulk squinted at him for a moment before finally nodding. 

"Good, that's really good."

Hulk smiled. "Awe-some."

Phil smiled back as he pulled the armor key from his inner jacket pocket. "Yes, very awesome." He held the key against the side of the armor's helmet and pressed his thumb to the button.

"Passcode."

Hulk jerked back and Phil shook his head and held up his free hand to get him to wait.

"Agent says open sesame."

"Accepted." The helmet clicked.

"Fucking, thank you. Get the Big Guy to set me back up. I've been on my back forever. Tell me there's something I can blast still laying around. Intelligent lightning. I hate it, I tell you!"

Hulk huffed, smiled, and pulled on the armor to get it upright. "Spaceman."

Phil pried the faceplate the rest of the way open. "I dislike your pass codes."

Stark smiled and laughed as the faceplate lifted up. "Like anyone would think that'd be the passcode. Besides, if you didn't just used Agent for your name it would have locked down."

"Yes, I remember your explanation." Phil looked up at Hulk holding Stark's armor upright. "Thank you for watching over, Mr. Stark, Mr. Hulk."

Hulk snorted and then turned to growl at the techs trying to approach.

Stark giggled and smiled at Phil. "He likes me."

Phil frowned. "Did you hit your head?"

****

Tony watched Bruce pace as he stirred sugar into his applesauce. "I'm fine, you know."

"You've got a grade three concussion."

Tony's head was throbbing and he had to move slow not to make his stomach mad. "Yeah, and? I've hurt myself worse inventing flight stabilizers."

Bruce growled under his breathe and came over to peer into Tony's eyes.

Tony let him and patted Bruce's shoulder as the man stepped away to go back to pacing. "See? I'm fine."

Bruce huffed and pulled his chair out so it was more between Tony's bed and the room's door. "Yeah. I see that."

Tony took a careful bite of applesauce and tried really hard not to have to chew. His headache throbbed worse when he put any sort of pressure on his teeth. "Why does it hurt to chew, I hit my head, not my jaw."

"You do have a lot of nerve pathways in your head, Tony."

"Hm." Tony kept eating and smiled when Natasha and Clint appeared. "Did you bring me anything?"

Natasha rolled her eyes and handed Bruce a cup of coffee. "No, you are a rich spoiled brat. You do not need anything."

Tony pouted at her and watched Bruce bristle behind her. She moved smoothly to put Clint between herself and Bruce. 

"I am. I'm also bored. Do you know what happens when a rich spoiled brat is bored?"

Clint kept one eye on Bruce hovering as he patted Tony's blanket covered foot. "You reinvent an element?"

Nat glanced between Bruce and Tony. "Break space-time?"

Clint nudged Bruce, who wasn't smiling. "Bend science to your wills?"

Bruce sighed. "Tony needs to rest."

Nat patted Bruce on the shoulder as she swept out of the room. "Don't stay up late boys."

Tony let his eyes drift partway closed and watched the others as Clint settled in Bruce's chair while Bruce went back to pacing.

****

Clint watched Bruce pace, pace, and just keep pacing. "Can I do something to help?"

Bruce shook his head and put his ear over Tony's face for a moment before returning to pacing. "I'm fine."

Clint nodded. "Sure." He scratched his neck. "Doc, you don't look fine. You look agitated."

Bruce whirled on him. "I'm fine."

Clint held up his hands, palms out. "Okay. Just, you know, Hulk was pacing around Tony. Now you're pacing."

Bruce blinked and looked at Tony before looking back to Clint. "I am? I...He did?"

Clint nodded. "Yep. You sure are, Doc."

Bruce perched on the end of Tony's bed. "I...I didn't even notice."

Tony shifted under his covers. "I like it."

Clint nudged Tony's foot with a finger. "No opinions from the injured peanut gallery." He looked up at Bruce. "It wasn't bad, you know."

Bruce hunched more in on himself. "Sure."

****

Tony cornered Bruce in his lab, which, admittedly was sort of cheating. "Hey, Big Guy."

Bruce didn't even glance up from his test tubes. "Hi, Tony."

"I didn't mind, you know." He grinned as that got Bruce's attention. Tony lifted his chin in Bruce's direction. "I don't mind. You can pace and growl anytime you want."

"Tony." Bruce looked away and frowned. "He's...it is dangerous. What if he _hurt_ someone?"

"Bruce." Tony waited for Bruce to look at him. "Everyone. You, me, well, maybe not Logan, or Cap... never mind, let's go with everyone. Everyone dies. Right?" He waited until Bruce nodded. "Thing is, Hulk hasn't seen a friend die as a green rage monster. He has no idea how to fix an unfixable thing. It worries him, makes him pace and want it fixed. Okay?"

Bruce shifted uncomfortably and took his glasses off. "So?"

"So." Tony put a hand on Bruce's arm. "What I'm saying is don't get upset that you share the wanting it fixed desire with him."

Bruce sighed. "Tony, I don't know what you need to understand that he's _dangerous_."

"And I don't know what you need to get it that everyone...everything, is dangerous."

Bruce blinked and froze. "What?"

"I could walk out of the Tower and get hit by a car, Bruce."

Bruce put his glasses back on. "No."

Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm not saying I will, just that it could happen. My point is that things happen. He's allowed to dislike those things. You too."

Bruce let Tony pull him into a hug. "I'm going to laugh if you do get hit by a car."

Tony smiled and kissed Bruce's temple. "Sure you are, Big Guy."

****


End file.
